We have made significant progress delivering measures to protect water quality and aquatic life in the Elk Valley, including:
- Commissioning our first Saturated Rock Fill facility at Elkview Operations in January 2018, which is now achieving near-complete removal of selenium and nitrate from 10 million litres of mine-affected water per day
- Commissioning of an upgraded active water treatment facility at Line Creek Operations in October 2018, with a design capacity to treat 7.5 million litres of water each day
- The start of construction of a new water treatment facility at our Fording River Operations in May 2018
We plan to invest up to $900 million over the next five years alone towards the construction of water treatment facilities.
On November 18, 2014, the B.C. Ministry of Environment approved an area-based management plan, called the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan (the Plan), developed by Teck to address the management of water quality constituents released by mining activities throughout the Elk River watershed.
Development of the Plan was informed by scientific advice received from a Technical Advisory Committee chaired by the B.C. Ministry of Environment, and including representatives from Teck, Environment Canada, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State of Montana, Ktunaxa Nation, other provincial ministries, and an independent scientist. Public input was received through three phases of consultation conducted in Elk Valley communities.
The Plan establishes short, medium and long-term water quality targets which are protective of the environment and human health for selenium, nitrate, sulphate and cadmium, as well as a plan to manage calcite formation. The approved Plan is a public policy document that will guide future regulatory decision making regarding water quality and mining in the Elk Valley.
Teck continues to implement aquatic monitoring, water quality testing and various water quality management measures in order to achieve the target levels in the Plan. This work includes:
- Commissioning our first Saturated Rock Fill facility at Elkview Operations in January 2018, which is now achieving near-complete removal of selenium and nitrate from 10 million litres of mine-affected water per day
- Commissioning of an upgraded active water treatment facility at Line Creek Operations in October 2018, with a design capacity to treat 7.5 million litres of water each day
- The start of construction of a new water treatment facility at our Fording River Operations in May 2018
Total capital spending on water treatment over the next five years is expected to be in the $850 to $900 million range.
Research and development (R&D) is a critical part of addressing water quality challenges in the Elk Valley. Teck’s research and development program for the Elk Valley has two main branches. The first is a comprehensive R&D program to determine how we can better design mines and mine structures such as waste dumps to protect water quality. The second examines new and emerging water treatment technologies to find the best methods for protecting water quality. The R&D work is organized around the main areas:
Waste Rock Design
Focus
How can new waste rock dumps be designed to lower the amounts of selenium and other substances being released and how can existing waste rock dumps be assessed and managed to minimize the release of these substances?
Researchers: University of Saskatchewan (1 MSc Student, staff); Montana State University
Recent work (2012):
- Drilling and sampling of legacy waste rock piles undertaken at Line Creek, Elkview, Greenhills and Cardinal River operations
- Gas and temperature monitoring instruments were installed at various locations
- Geophysical surveys were conducted at each of the research areas
- Intensive sampling of the Turncreek waste rock site, constructed at Fording River Operations specifically to allow evaluation of bottom-up dump construction
- Continued work at research leach pads constructed at Cardinal River and Line Creek operations in 2007
More information
Poster: ‘Spatial Analysis of the Microbial Community in Mining Waste Rock: Activities & Signatures’ [1.11 MB]
Saturated Zones
Focus: How effective are natural and designed saturated zones in managing releases of selenium and other substances?
Researchers: University of Saskatchewan (Two MSc. Students)
Recent work
- Preliminary sampling and instrumentation conducted of two saturated zones at Cardinal River Operations
- Installed groundwater wells at Line Creek and Cardinal River in 2012 and sampled groundwater at the new wells and existing wells to inform conceptual models
- Inventoried and compiled available rock and water chemistry data from all Teck coal operations to inform conceptual model development and aid in selection of research sites for 2013
Technology Implementation
Focus: What advances in source control or selenium treatment/emergent selenium technologies should be implemented at pilot or commercial scale?
Researchers: Various
Recent work
All of the research under the R&D program is aimed at identifying mine design approaches or technologies for source control to be implemented at commercial scale. A key question that will be considered by all researchers is how to scale up laboratory results to commercial size
Water Bodies
Focus: How can mine developed water bodies (like end of pit lakes) be used to manage releases of substances such as selenium?
Researchers: Teck
Recent work
- Research ongoing into end of pit lakes to enhance selenium management
- Process undertaken in 2012 to identify key questions and direction for upcoming research into this focus area
Processing Plants
Focus: How are tailings from the mine’s processing plant different with respect to release of substances such as selenium?
Researchers: Teck
Recent work
- Inventory of tailings deposits to identify potential study sites conducted in 2012
- Lab scale research on tailings conducted at ART in 2012
Reclamation
Focus: How do reclamation options affect the release of selenium and other substances, and how do they perform in meeting other reclamation objectives?
Researchers: McMaster University (One MSc student)
Recent work
- Soil moisture and climate stations installed at locations in the Elk Valley and at Cardinal River Operations
- Vegetation, soil and wildlife assessments conducted
Nitrate Management
Focus: What is the effectiveness of explosives (nitrates) management on minimizing nitrates in the watershed?
Researchers: Various
Recent work
This is at the program planning stage, though nitrates are a key focus in projects being conducted by researchers in other focus areas
Water Management
Focus: How do water management processes affect the releases of these substances and how can we maximize the effectiveness of water management?
Researchers: McMaster University (Four MSc students and one post-doctoral researcher)
Recent work
- Identified West Line Creek as focus watershed to address key research questions around water balances for mine affected watersheds
- Commenced research in 2012 with McMaster University on water balances for mine affected watersheds
- Conducted snow surveys, with the data being used by researchers in all focus areas
- Collected groundwater information to inform water balance research
- Installed surface water balance instrumentation at three elevations at West Line Creek to collect data
More information
Poster: The influence of surface mining on catchment response in Elk Valley, B.C
Calcite
Focus: Can we stop calcite from forming or safely control it?
Researchers: Teck
Recent work
Substantial research and monitoring into calcite was been conducted previously and that work continued through 2012
Further work undertaken in 2012 to further develop the research into this field through 2013
Rock Drains
Focus: How do rock drains affect the release of substances such as selenium?
Researchers: University of Saskatchewan (Post-doctoral researcher)
Recent work
- Commenced evaluation of rock drains at Elkview and Line Creek operations
- Drilling and sampling of waste dumps at both operations in 2012
- Instrumentation installed at Elkview waste dump
- Bench-scale testing conducted at University of Saskatchewan to evaluate rock drain effluent treatment
- Inventory and classification system established for rock drains
Teck is conducting extensive studies and monitoring of water quality and aquatic health which includes at a minimum monthly water quality sampling at approximately 100 stations in the Elk Valley. Click here to view related reports.
Studies and monitoring indicate that the concentrations of selenium and other substances are not affecting fish populations, but effects on some types of benthic invertebrates (certain types of mayflies) have been observed in specific downstream areas and studies are being undertaken to determine the cause. Factors may include both mining-related and natural factors, such as nitrate concentrations, temperature trends and annual variation in river flow.
Teck conducted a comprehensive evaluation of potential effects on human health and groundwater. This evaluation compared concentrations of selenium and other constituents against conservative health-protective benchmarks for swimming, incidental ingestion, eating fish or drinking groundwater. Results of this analysis concluded that current concentrations of constituents in water, sediment or fish for activities such as drinking, swimming, or consuming locally caught fish do not present unacceptable human health risks.
Drinking water guidelines for selenium and nitrate are exceeded in some parts of the watershed, meaning that local health authorities should be consulted prior to use of surface water as a drinking water supply. It was also noted that groundwater from a small number of wells exceeded the provincial guideline for selenium but remained well below the Health Canada guideline. Further monitoring is being conducted of wells that exceed guidelines, as well as those that are within 30% of guideline.
As groundwater is intrinsically linked to surface water quality in parts of the Elk Valley, it is expected that the actions taken through the Plan to reduce and manage surface water levels of selenium and nitrate will also manage groundwater quality over time.
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